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Improving lives with Amazon Echo

We’re all aware of the challenge of looking after vulnerable adults. The demand for social care is growing thanks to our aging population and ability to manage chronic illnesses, and public budgets are being squeezed.

But we believe everyone can get the care they need. And we believe that, with the right technology, it’s affordable for local authorities.

That’s why we put together a diverse team of local government, healthcare and technology experts to explore new ways to care for people in their own homes. The aim was to help people keep their independence while further reducing overall care costs. The answer? Amazon Echo smart speakers equipped with customised voice controls and skills.

We put these connected devices, alongside other internet of things (IoT) gadgets like smart thermostats and lights, into the homes of 50 people with care needs. It’s the first time such consumer technology has helped care for people at this scale, and the results have been encouraging. Just see what one of the users had to say in the video below.

Alexa Cares: case study in Hampshire

Almost three-quarters of the people in our trial said their Echo has improved their life, while 68 per cent said it helped maintain their independence. These promising results meant the trial won the 2018 International Technology Enabled Care Award for Innovation, supporting our determination to bring this technology to more people with care needs.

We’re now exploring how to use this technology to support more people and develop new features, including:

analysing data from the devices to see changes in routine that suggest a decline in the person’s overall condition

adding more sensors to the system, such as blood glucose monitors fitted to toilets to spot signs of infection

building diagnostic functionality through artificial intelligence, such as analysing changes in speech patterns to detect depression or dementia.